New project: Seagrass/Seahorse tank
- Thread starter mogurnda
- Start date
Sorry, just saw this. It was dead easy, just plopped the shell next to their favorite gorgonian. It seems to be deep enough to keep the current from washing the shrimp away. The current does make the shrimp move a little, which probably helps get them interested.
There are a lot more fancy ways to do it, like gluing little hitches to the station, but there are enough plants and corals around mine that they don't seem to need that.
There are a lot more fancy ways to do it, like gluing little hitches to the station, but there are enough plants and corals around mine that they don't seem to need that.
Its funny I ran into this thread as I too set up a Seahorse/Pipefish tank not too long ago. They are currently in a 20h, but assuming all goes well will convert my 55g and make that their permanent home. But is a 20g with Deep Sand bed, live rock, lots of fake plants and also Caulerpa. I too had some Acropora frags (dead, bought them that way for this purpose) for hitching posts. This is however the first time I have tried CB ponies though. I used to keep Seahorses up till 3 years ago and were all wild caught individuals. I had erectus, kudas, comes (Tiger tails), reidis (all colors including bright red), barbouri, pygmy etc...Then college started and didn't have the time for them but now that I am a senior decided to try them again! I purchased 2 of the Giant Seahorses (Hippocampus kelloggi) from LiveAquaria and they came in 2 days ago. They didn't eat that night but have eaten lots since then (frozen mysis). Yesterday I went to a lfs haven't been to in awhile and they had an Alligator Pipefish so she joined the herd too. They had Bandeds (Flagtail) Pipes there too for only 15 each but they had just arrived so figured would give them some more time. Will try and take some pics of my setup too. Great thread for all those trying to get into Seahorses.
I can say from experience, they are SO much easier now than they were 5 years ago! Now that they are cb and eating frozen (this was the biggest problem...lack of nutrition as most would only eat copepods and live brine) they are much easier, still difficult and demanding (frequent feedings) but not near as much as they used to be! Hope this helps!
I can say from experience, they are SO much easier now than they were 5 years ago! Now that they are cb and eating frozen (this was the biggest problem...lack of nutrition as most would only eat copepods and live brine) they are much easier, still difficult and demanding (frequent feedings) but not near as much as they used to be! Hope this helps!
Thanks for the input MSL! I would love to see photos of the kelloggi. And, yes, I will post some new photos as soon as I can squeeze in a session.
I agree that this must be a whole lot easier than keeping WC horses. There's not just the feeding issue, but I see endless threads about disease and unexplained deaths in the WC.
I just saw photos of some beautiful CB flagtails. They were even eating frozen food. Unfortunately, they were in Australia, otherwise they would find a nice spot at my house.
I agree that this must be a whole lot easier than keeping WC horses. There's not just the feeding issue, but I see endless threads about disease and unexplained deaths in the WC.
I just saw photos of some beautiful CB flagtails. They were even eating frozen food. Unfortunately, they were in Australia, otherwise they would find a nice spot at my house.
As I keep promising, here are a few photos. Not a whole lot has changed, and the most interesting stuff, like feeding and the morning dance, happen when the lights are low. I am dealing with a few things right now. First, feeding is now under better control with the new "feeding station" clamshell. Second, the alkalinity has been dropping a bit, probably because the plants are using a lot of carbonate and the amount of carbon from the doser is not keeping up. Adding a little bicarbonate helped.
An updated view of the tank. More diatoms, more turtle grass, and a few shaving brush plants. After they keep getting eaten, I have given up on manatee grass. The turtle grass is growing new leaves, but I don't know whether they are sending out runners under the sand.
The male is at the base of the gorgonian, and I think the female is hunting on the bottom somewhere.
The kids at feeding time.
Mrs Spike is much more interested in the feeding station than her hubby. I think he's getting enough to eat, but she is definitely getting plenty.
An updated view of the tank. More diatoms, more turtle grass, and a few shaving brush plants. After they keep getting eaten, I have given up on manatee grass. The turtle grass is growing new leaves, but I don't know whether they are sending out runners under the sand.
The male is at the base of the gorgonian, and I think the female is hunting on the bottom somewhere.
The kids at feeding time.
Mrs Spike is much more interested in the feeding station than her hubby. I think he's getting enough to eat, but she is definitely getting plenty.
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You all may be getting bored withthis, but I am going to keep posting updates as time allows.
An almost whole-body view of Mr Spike:
And a few of the other inhabitants.
A medusa worm (aka synaptic cucumber) in one of the shaving brushes. The trick is figuring out where it starts and ends.
This is the cladocora colony I moved from the reef. It's not a beautiful coral, but it hitchiked as a few tiny polyps with my firstbatch of TBS rock. It got moved into the 90 reef about a year and a half ago, and just about quadrupled in size since then.
An almost whole-body view of Mr Spike:
And a few of the other inhabitants.
A medusa worm (aka synaptic cucumber) in one of the shaving brushes. The trick is figuring out where it starts and ends.
This is the cladocora colony I moved from the reef. It's not a beautiful coral, but it hitchiked as a few tiny polyps with my firstbatch of TBS rock. It got moved into the 90 reef about a year and a half ago, and just about quadrupled in size since then.
Please keep it up! I'd like to breed seahorses someday, but I need to wait long enough for my wife to forget how expensive my freshwater setup has been.mogurnda said:
Swimfins
This is as good as it gets.
